Big Ideas

Why Do Most People Rush Their Marketing? [07:11]

When it comes to building personal relationships, it takes time—especially if you want to build deep and rewarding relationships. This also holds true when it comes to your marketing. If you want to build those deep relationships with your customers, you have to take your time.

So why do most people rush their marketing? It’s because they want instant results. They are too short-term focused and have little to no patience. They want sales NOW.

How Do You Create Raving Fans For Your Business? [08:03]

The best thing you can do in business if you want to create raving fans who are willing to buy whatever you have to sell—even before you’ve offered it—is to create a long runway. This is a philosophy we use to create MASSIVE amounts of excitement well before we launch a product. This long runway approach happens well before the “launch” and involves 2 specific phases—The Connection Phase & The Awareness Phase.

The 2 Phases You Need To Include Before You Launch [09:12]

The Connection Phase is when you create content that connects with your potential clients, both at the head and the heart. This phase requires you to get really clear on your values, your beliefs, and the things you stand for. From there, you can create content around those things. Most people will avoid this phase because they’re afraid it may alienate their audience. But the truth is, you really do want to alienate people. One of my earlier mentors said it best when he said “Love me or hate me, there’s no money in the middle.” So, you have to stand for something because when you do, you’ll attract the people who believe the same, and they’ll become raving fans!

The Awareness Phase is where you start raising the awareness of the transformation that’s possible, with whatever you provide. This is what most people would call a case study—which by the way, is different from a testimonial and it’s important to understand the distinction between the two. A testimonial is all about you and your services (e.g. Stu is great, Tribe is amazing!). That’s not what this phase is about. This phase is about raising the awareness of what’s possible, and you do that by telling stories of real people, just like those in your audience, who have experienced a transformation. And you don’t have to make the connection back to you specifically. So, with my potential clients, the conclusion I want them to come to at the end of this phase is “I want a membership site.”

Take Your Time In the Beginning & Save Time In The End! [11:33]

When you take your time with your marketing, not only will you experience much higher conversions, but you’re going to create raving fans, which magically speeds up the buying loop (i.e. the time it takes for people to buy from you). So, in the end, you make sales way easier and way faster. Take your time in the beginning and you will save so much time in the end.

Our long runway served us tremendously well—especially with our most recent launch where people wanted to buy, even before we made any kind of offer. We started sharing our stories almost 3 months prior to when we launched. We took our time and there was no urgent call to action or anything like that. We just shared the “Connection” and “Awareness” content and it built up this massive amount of momentum. And when we finally got to the launch, magical things happened.

So here’s my suggestion to you. Map out your runway and take your time. Connect with people—both at the head and the heart—and raise awareness by sharing real life stories of of those who have experienced the transformation that your audience wants to experience.

Memorable Quote

“Connect with people at the head and the heart. Then, raise awareness by sharing real life stories of of those who have experienced the transformation that your audience wants to experience.” – Stu McLaren

“Love me or hate me, there’s no money in the middle.” – Stu McLaren

Resources

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